Prejudice Against Native Americans Essay - 914 Words

Prejudice Against Native Americans These people began migrating thirty thousand years before Christopher Colombus quot;discoveredquot; the Americas. Native Americans migrated from Asia, crossing a land bridge where the Bering Strait off the coast of Alaska is today. Over the centuries these people spread throughout the continents of North and South America. Since the arrival of the Europeans in 1492 the American Indian has been dehumanized, decivilized and redefined into terms that represent a dominate European view. The Spanish explorers under Colombus were the first to use the terms quot;Indianquot; to mean a Native American. These explorers were under the false impression that the had reached the West Indies. This†¦show more content†¦The Europenas knew nothing of the new civilizations they encountered. Most Native American tribes viewed the lands they occupied to be no one mans property. They believied that they were alowed to occupy it by the grace of the quot;Great Spiritquot;, in return the tribes took care of the land the used. Usually Native Americans harbored a great respect for the land they were allowed to use . When the European leaders attempted to purchase this land from the tribes the Native American leaders often thought they did not have the authority to sell the land. In their view the land wasnt theirs to sell. Often times, payment offered was refused because of this view The Europeans, on the other hand, did not understand or care to understandthe Native American way of life, culture or philosophy. Instead, they saw the land as a great buisness oppurtunity to be bought and sold. Sometimes payment was accepted because the American Indians did not fully understand the consequence or implications of the sale. It was difficult for the Indians to comprehend the ownership of land because in their view the land would always be avaliable for everyone to use. Europeans feared these new people with a seemingly savage way of life. The dances and othe cultural traditions that Native Americans practiced were extremely abstract and foreign to the European settlers. These displays ofShow MoreRelatedEthnic Groups and Discrimination- Native Americans791 Words   |  4 PagesEthnic Groups and Discrimination Native Americans The ethnic group that I choose was Native Americans. I am of Caucasian descendant with Native American from my dad’s side. I really want to learn more about my heritage and family background. The Native Americans didn’t participate in discrimination; they were affected by people discriminating against them. The immigration of Indian American has taken place in several waves since the first Indian American came to the United States in the 1700’sRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Old News By Deborah Miranda Essay1305 Words   |  6 Pagesgain. That is what happened to Native Americans over the course of American history. 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